Delayed orchiectomy and surgery of metastases after primary chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced testicular tumors

OBJECTIVE: The therapeutic procedures in the management of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) are determined by histological findings in the removed testis and by the extent of the disease at the time of diagnosis. However, all advanced TGCT could be treated by primary chemotherapy (CHT) regardless of histological findings. The current imaging techniques (ultrasonography of the testis, abdominal and thoracic CT examination) and laboratory tests (determination of serum tumor markers AFP and hCG) provide sufficient evidence for the presence of TGCT. In cases of acute abdominal and/or pulmonary symptoms because of life-threatening distant metastases, when the diagnosis of advanced TGCT is evident, it is possible to start the treatment without primary orchiectomy (OE). The aim of this study was to evaluate the advantages of neo-adjuvant CHT with delayed OE in the management of advanced TGCT. MATERIAL AND METHODS: During last 12 years a total of 40 patients with advanced TGCT were treated by neo-adjuvant cisplatin-based combination CHT without previous OE. Eleven patients had bulky mass in the retroperitoneum (Stage IIC), three patients had enlarged retroperitoneal lymph nodes (Stage IIB), two patients had enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes (Stage III). Another 24 patients had pulmonary metastases (Stage IV), 15 of them had also bulky mass in the retroperitoneum and 6 of them in the mediastinum. Following the completion of CHT, OE was performed alone or simultaneously with retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) and subsequent lung metastasectomy in cases with persistent residual mass. RESULTS: Complete disappearance of metastases was observed in 13 (32.5%) patients following PVB or BEP CHT alone. The residual mass in the retroperitoneum was removed surgically in 27 patients. In three of them residual tumorous mass was removed also from the lungs without finding of viable tumor. Viable malignant tumor in the removed retroperitoneal tissue was identified in two patients (7.4%). Residual viable malignant tumor in the testis was found in 5 patients (12.5%). Overall survival was 29/40 patients--72.5% (by mean of 55.2 months since the start of the therapy). CONCLUSIONS: The benefit of this therapeutic approach in the immediate management of acute abdominal and/or pulmonary symptoms of life-threatening distant metastases. Another advantage is the like hood of surgical treatment of residual metastatic masses simultaneously with delayed OE on the same day, under one anaesthesia.